US5990948A - Noise cancelling circuit for pixel signals and an image pickup device using the noise cancelling circuit - Google Patents

Noise cancelling circuit for pixel signals and an image pickup device using the noise cancelling circuit Download PDF

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US5990948A
US5990948A US08/808,419 US80841997A US5990948A US 5990948 A US5990948 A US 5990948A US 80841997 A US80841997 A US 80841997A US 5990948 A US5990948 A US 5990948A
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voltage
reference voltage
input
output
inverting circuit
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Tadashi Sugiki
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Toshiba Corp
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Toshiba Corp
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Priority claimed from JP04612196A external-priority patent/JP3361005B2/ja
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/70—SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
    • H04N25/71—Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors
    • H04N25/75—Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/60—Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L27/00—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate
    • H01L27/14—Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation
    • H01L27/144—Devices controlled by radiation
    • H01L27/146—Imager structures
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/70—SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/70—SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
    • H04N25/76—Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
    • H04N25/77—Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
    • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
    • H04N25/13—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements
    • H04N25/134—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements based on three different wavelength filter elements

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a noise reducing circuit for pixel signals and an image pickup device using this noise reducing circuit which, in the case where, as in a pixel output signal in a solid-state image pickup device, a signal component is multiplexed on a varying DC component, can cancel the DC component to derive the signal component accurately or can be less affected by an extraneous signal and, by doing so, can achieve a compact unit.
  • the CCD type solid-state image pickup device using a charge coupled device (CCD) and a CMOS type solid-state image pickup device have been known as a solid-state image pickup device for use in a video camera and electronic still camera.
  • a read-out signal is taken out as an amplified form through one amplifier provided in an output stage of a horizontal transfer section.
  • the amplifier can be constructed as a low input capacity on-chip amplifier. It is, therefore, possible to obtain a low-noise, high-quality video signal almost without involving a level variation for each pixel. Since, however, a signal charge sequentially transferred in the solid-state image pickup device is, as viewed as a signal current, very small on the order of 100 nA, it is susceptible to the extraneous noise and is adversely affected in its S/N ratio simply because the solid state image pickup device is located near a timing generator and digital signal processing circuit.
  • CMOS type solid-state image pickup device In the CMOS type solid-state image pickup device, on the other hand, amplifiers for deriving outputs of a respective plurality of photodiodes are incorporated, and a very weak signal current amplified thereby. The output of each amplifier is taken out as an image pickup signal through the scannings of corresponding vertical and horizontal scanning switches.
  • this kind of solid-state image pickup device uses a plurality of amplifiers for each pixel, if there occurs a variation, in a DC component, between the output voltages, then fixed-pattern noise is produced even at a light shutting time at an image pickup section.
  • a noise cancelling means for pixel signals comprises a first holding means for holding a difference voltage between an input signal level at a first (or a second) time point and a reference potential to a first capacitor connected between an input terminal and reference voltage source, at the first time point, a second holding means for holding a difference voltage between an input signal level at the second (or the first) time point and a threshold voltage of an inverting circuit to a second capacitor connected between the input terminal and the inverting circuit input terminal, a reference voltage variable means for supplying a reference voltage, as a bias, to the input of the inverting circuit through a series-connection of the first and second capacitors to make the reference voltage variable, and deciding means for deciding an associated digital value as being a pure input signal when an output of the inverting circuit is inverted during a portion of a time in which the reference voltage varies.
  • the reference voltage is varied and a digital value corresponding to the reference voltage when the output of the comparator is changed is taken as a variation level of the input signal.
  • the input signal is comprised of a signal taken out from the photo sensing elements in the solid-state image pickup device.
  • the solid-state image pickup device is characterized in that the outputs of the photo sensing elements are taken out through amplifiers and signal lines.
  • the solid-state image pickup device is characterized in that the outputs of the photo sensing elements are taken out through a charge coupled device.
  • FIGS. 1A to 1D are views showing a basic circuit arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 2A to 2H are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts in the basic arrangement, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of the FIG. 1A circuit arrangement;
  • FIG. 3 is a view showing a practical form of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 4A to 4M are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses for explaining the operation of the FIG. 3 circuit;
  • FIG. 5A is a view showing a basic circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5B is a view showing a practical form of a reference voltage generator in FIG. 5A;
  • FIG. 6A is a view showing a basic arrangement according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6B is a view showing a practical form of a reference voltage generator in FIG. 6A;
  • FIGS. 7A to 7H are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of the FIG. 6A circuit;
  • FIG. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of the present embodiment.
  • FIGS. 9A to 9I are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of the FIG. 8 circuit;
  • FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing an image pickup device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 11A to 11H are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of an image pickup device
  • FIG. 12 is an explanative view showing a color image pickup device according to the present invention.
  • FIGS. 13A to 13J are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of the FIG. 12 image pickup device;
  • FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a motion area detecting function-equipped solid-state image pickup device according to the present invention.
  • FIGS. 15A to 15K are a timing chart showing signals of associated parts, as well as timing pulses, for explaining the operation of the FIG. 14 device;
  • FIG. 16 is an explaining view showing a remote monitoring system
  • FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing an arrangement of a one-chip image pickup device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing an arrangement of a depth information detection camera using the image pickup device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing an arrangement of FIG. 18.
  • FIG. 20 is an explanative view showing an arrangement of a linear sensor using the image pickup device according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1A shows a basic one embodiment of the present invention.
  • a read-out signal (imaging signal) from a corresponding pixel of a solid-state image pickup device is supplied to an input terminal 1-1 of a noise cancelling circuit NR0.
  • the input terminal 1-1 is connected via a switch 2-1 to a connection point between one electrode of a capacitor 3-1 and one electrode of a capacitor 4-1.
  • the other electrode of between the voltage Va of the input signal Vin and the potential level of a reference potential Vo is stored in the capacitor 3-1.
  • FIG. 1C shows the states of the respective switches at time t2.
  • the switches 2-1 and 8-1 are turned ON and the switch 5-1 is turned OFF.
  • the switches 2-1 and 8-1 are turned OFF and the switch 5-1 is turned ON, so that the reference voltage Vref is output from the D/A converter 6-1.
  • the reference voltage Vref is obtained by counting clocks in a counter in the controller 9-0 and applying its count value to the D/A converter 6-1. The counter is reset by a head of the next horizontal drive signal.
  • a combined capacitor corresponding to a series-coupled capacitors 3-1 and 4-1 is connected to the input of the inverter 7-1 to provide the reference voltage Vref.
  • FIGS. 2A to 2H show the waveforms of the input voltage INVin and output voltage INVout of the inverter 7-1 which are involved with a time variation of the reference voltage Vref. For the output voltage INVout, those dotted intervals are in a definite state.
  • FIG. 2A corresponds to a horizontal drive signal (HD);
  • FIG. 2B the input signal (Vin);
  • FIG. 2C an ON/OFF operation waveform of the switch 2-1;
  • FIG. 2D an ON/OFF operation waveform of the switch 5-1;
  • FIG. 2E an ON/OFF operation waveform of the switch 8-1;
  • FIG. 2F a waveform of the reference voltage (Vref);
  • FIG. 2G a waveform of the input voltage (INVin) of the inverter 7-1;
  • FIG. 2H a waveform of the output voltage (INVout) of the inverter 7-1.
  • the reference voltage Vref is set to a Vo and the input voltage is given by Va, it follows that, with the switch 5-1 side as a reference, a voltage (Va-Vo) is stored in the capacitor 3-1.
  • the inverter 7-1 is biased to the threshold voltage Vth with the switch 8-1 ON.
  • the switch 2-1 is turned ON, so that a voltage (Vth-Vb) is stored in the capacitor 4-1 with the switch 2-1 side as a reference.
  • the input voltage of the inverter 7-1 becomes a sum of the potential difference (Va-Vb) of input voltages at times t1 and t2, the threshold voltage (Vth) and the potential difference (Vref-Vo) of the reference voltage.
  • the input voltage INVin becomes the threshold voltage Vth when the potential difference (Va-Vb) and potential difference (Vref-Vo) of the reference voltage become equal to each other.
  • the output of the inverter 7-1 is changed at when the inverter input voltage acrosses the inverter threshold voltage.
  • the inverter 7-1 acts as the voltage comparator (inverting circuit). That is,
  • the present circuit is not sensitive to that DC component in the input voltage, which produces noise on the signal line, and works as a noise reducing circuit. Further, the present circuit has also no DC-sensitive to the reference voltage and it can be designed as a simpler circuit arrangement without the need to compensate the DC offset with respect to the D/A converter 6-1 side for generating the reference voltage.
  • an AGC automatic gain control circuit
  • an amplitude variable means for setting the amplitude of the reference voltage may be provided as the gain control amplifier.
  • various methods can be conceived, such as a bias adjusting method and a clock speed of the counter varying method.
  • switches are shown like a mechanical structure, but they are comprised of integrated semiconductor switches, such as a CMOS type, in real practice.
  • FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment builds, as the solid-state image pickup device, an image pickup section, noise cancelling circuit and controller in a one-chip structure.
  • a series-connected array of a switch 402 and photo sensing element 401 is situated between a power source 400 and a ground potential, and an input terminal of an amplifier 403 is connected to a connection point between the switch 402 and the light receiving element 401, and an output terminal of the amplifier 403 is connected to a signal read-out line (vertical line) VL1 through a switch 404.
  • pixel block PB11 Although explanation has been given above about the pixel block PB11 as a typical structure, the other pixel blocks have the same structure as set out above. That is, those pixel blocks PB12 to PBnm (m: a horizontal direction pixel number, n: a vertical direction pixel number) have the same structures as set out above.
  • the pixel blocks PB11, PB12, . . . , PB1m show a pixel array in a first horizontal line direction and the pixel blocks PB21, PB22, . . . , PB2m, a second horizontal line direction pixel array. Since the respective pixel block contains the same structure, the same reference numerals are attached to the corresponding component parts.
  • the vertical direction array of the respective pixel blocks are commonly connected to the corresponding signal read-out lines (VL1 to VLm).
  • the signal read-out line VL1 is connected through a switch 2-1 to a connection point of one electrode of a capacitor 3-1 and that of one electrode of a capacitor 4-1.
  • the other electrode of the capacitor 3-1 is connected through a switch 5-1 to an output terminal of a D/A converter 311.
  • the other electrode of the capacitor 4-1 is connected to the input terminal of an inverter 7-1, serving as a comparator, and through a switch 8-1 to the output terminal of the inverter 7-1.
  • the output terminal of the inverter 7-1 is connected to a gate terminal G of a latch circuit 11-1 constituting a controller.
  • a latch circuit 11-2 is so provided as to correspond to the noise cancelling circuit NR2.
  • the output of an inverter 7-2 in the noise cancelling circuit NR2 is supplied to a gate terminal G of the latch circuit 11-2.
  • the latch circuits 11-1 to 11-m are so provided as to correspond to the noise cancelling circuits NR1 to NRm.
  • These latch circuits 11-1 to 11-m latch a count value of a common counter 312 at a time when the outputs of the inverters of the corresponding noise cancelling circuits are inverted, respectively.
  • the output of the counter 312 is further input to the D/A converter 311.
  • the basic operation of the respective noise cancelling circuits NR1 to NRm is the same with explanation that explained in conjunction with FIG. 1 and the D/A converter 311 is shared among the noise cancelling circuits NR1 to NRm.
  • the counter 312 is reset by a leading edge of the horizontal drive signal HD and counts clocks CLOCK.
  • the horizontal drive signal HD and clock CLOCK are also supplied to a timing generator 313 and generate timing signals, such as various kinds of switch control.
  • the controller 9-0 as shown in FIG. 1A corresponds to the counter 312, timing generator 313, latch circuits 11-1 to 11-m, latch circuits 12-1 to 12-m, scanning switches 13-1 to 13-m, etc.
  • the latch circuits 12-1 to 12-m are so provided as to correspond to the latch circuits 11-1 to 11-m and they latch those digital values, which are latched to the corresponding latch circuits 11-1 to 11-m, at a time in a timing of the horizontal drive signal HD.
  • the output terminals of the latch circuits 12-1 to 12-m are connected to the scanning switches 13-1 to 13-m, respectively. These scanning switches 13-1 to 13-m are sequentially turned ON during one horizontal period and derive the digital values of an imaging signal corresponding to one scanning onto an output line 70.
  • FIGS. 8A to 4M show a timing chart for explaining the operation of the image pickup device by way of example.
  • FIG. 4A shows the horizontal drive signal (HD) and FIGS. 4B and 4C, signal voltages Vin1 and Vin2 of vertical lines VL1 and VL2.
  • FIG. 4D shows an ON/OFF timing of the switches 2-1 to 2-m;
  • FIG. 4E an ON/OFF timing of the switches 5-1 to 5-m;
  • FIG. 4F an ON/OFF timing.
  • FIGS. 4H and 4I show the input and output of the inverter 7-1 and FIGS. 4J and 4K, the input and output of the inverter 7-2.
  • FIGS. 4L and 4M show an ON/OFF timing of the scanning switches 13-1 and 13-2.
  • FIG. 5A shows another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the same reference numerals are employed to designate those parts or elements corresponding to those shown in FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 5A shows a basic arrangement and FIG. 5B shows an example of a generator 800 for generating a reference voltage Vref.
  • the generator for generating the reference voltage Vref has been explained as being the D/A converter 311, the reference voltage generator 800 may be comprised of a circuit as shown in FIG. 5B.
  • the reference voltage generator in FIG. 5B is of such a type that, with a switch 803 rendered ON by a horizontal drive signal HD, an electric charge in a capacitor is discharged and, next with the switch 803 rendered OFF during a scanning period, the capacitor 801 is charged from a current source 802. An output during this charging is output as the reference voltage Vref through an amplifier Vref.
  • FIG. 6A shows another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6A shows a basic structure and is different from FIG. 5A in that the output of the inverter 7-1 is input, as an inverted replica, to the input of the latch circuit 4-1. This is the case where the logic is inverted with respect to the preceding embodiment and, as the reference voltage generator 900, use may be made of one for obtaining the characteristic of a discharge curve based on a time constant as shown in FIG. 6B.
  • a reference voltage generator in FIG. 6B is of such a type that a parallel circuit of a capacitor 901 and resistor 906 is connected between an input terminal of an amplifier 904 and ground.
  • a DC power source is connected via a switch 903 to the input terminal of an amplifier 904.
  • the switch 903 is controlled as follows.
  • a horizontal drive signal HD is supplied to a data input terminal of a D type flip-flop circuit 907.
  • a Q output terminal of the flip-flop circuit 907 is connected to a data input terminal of a D type flip-flop circuit 908.
  • a Q output terminal of the flip-flop circuit 908 is supplied to one input terminal of an AND circuit 909.
  • An inverted output of the flip-flop circuit 907 is supplied to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 909.
  • a clock is supplied to clock input terminals of the flip-flop circuits 907 and 908. By doing so, at a time when a horizontal drive signal falls, a positive logic output is obtained, at a clock speed, from the AND circuit 909. With a switch 903 ON, an electric charge is charged in the capacitor 901 and the switch 903 is turned OFF. By doing so, the charge in the capacitor 901 is discharged exponentially, through the resistor 906, with a CR time constant.
  • FIGS. 7A to 7H are a timing chart showing the operation of the present embodiment in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
  • FIG. 7A shows a horizontal drive signal (HD);
  • FIG. 7B an input signal (Vin);
  • FIGS. 7C, 7D and 7E the waveform diagrams of the timing of the switches 2-1, 5-1 and 8-1;
  • FIG. 7F a waveform of the reference voltage Vref;
  • FIGS. 7G and 7H the waveforms of the input and output voltages of the inverter 7-1.
  • the reference voltage Vref rises at a trailing edge of the reference synchronizing signal and falls gradually. During the portion of the falling, when it reaches a threshold value, then the output of the inverter 1-7 is changed from a negative to a positive value. At this time of change, the count value of the counter 312 is latched to the latch circuit 11-1.
  • the reference voltage is generated from the D/A converter.
  • the input of the D/A converter is supplied from the counter. With full bits initially set, the counter is decremented one by one and re-set with the horizontal period.
  • FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention and FIGS. 9A to 9I show a timing chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.
  • the embodiment above is proved effective to detecting the amplitude variation component in each pixel of a DC varying signal read from a CCD solid-state image pickup device for instance.
  • the embodiment in FIG. 8 is such that the basic unit in FIGS. 1A to 1D is arranged in parallel in a horizontal direction in m numbers relative to an input terminal 1-1, that is, in a manner to correspond to the number of pixels for instance.
  • Controllers 9-1 to 9-m comprise a successive approximation controller and scanning switch. The outputs of the respective controllers 9-1 to 9-m are taken out, respectively, through the corresponding scanning switches 13-1 to 13-m.
  • FIGS. 9A to 9I although the signal involved is repeated in 5 pixel units, a signal in the number of pixels corresponding to one horizontal period is continuously input in actual practice.
  • FIG. 9A shows an input signal to the input terminal 1-1 and the input signal comes from a horizontal transfer section of, for example, a CCD type image pickup section.
  • FIGS. 9B to 9I show the ON/OFF operation waveforms of the switches as shown in FIG. 8.
  • the solid-state image pickup device used in the embodiment above is suitable to such a type as to take out the output of the photo sensing element through a charge coupled device. That is, the embodiment above is of such a type that, with respect to a signal obtained as a time continuous signal over one horizontal line, not the signal treated one line at a time as in the previous embodiment, each block is operated in a shifted timing as the output signal of the CCD image pickup device having a floating diffusion amplifier. By doing so, the signal component has its noise reduced irrespective of any DC variation and is output as a noised reduced signal.
  • noise reduction is positively achieved in a simpler structure.
  • the image pickup device of the present invention is so designed as to achieve noise cancellation even in a combination of its drive method and specific arrangement.
  • FIG. 10 shows a basic arrangement of an image pickup device according to an embodiment of the present invention and FIGS. 11A to 11G show a timing chart for explaining its operation.
  • 400 shows a power source and it is connected to a plurality of power source lines.
  • the power source lines are comprised of a plurality of lines arranged in a vertical direction and extend in a horizontal direction.
  • Photodiodes 401 are connected, respectively, through switches 402 to the power source lines and arranged as a plural array.
  • the photodiode 401, switch 402, amplifier 403 and switch 404 are combined to provide one pixel area and the same reference numerals are employed to designate elements corresponding to those in the above pixel section.
  • the amplifier 403 is provided in each photodiode 401 and a very weak signal current, being amplified, is output to a vertical scanning switch 404 side. With the switch 404 in any one line (horizontal direction) being selected as ON, the output of the amplifier 403 is supplied to a noise canceller circuit 405 through a corresponding analog signal line.
  • a voltage Va corresponding to the signal is output from the amplifier 403.
  • the reset switch 402 once being closed, is opened, an electric charge in the photodiode is swept away.
  • a voltage Vb corresponding to the lack of a signal is output from the amplifier 403.
  • the noise cancellers 405 (corresponding to NR1, NR2 . . . in FIG. 3) cancel noise voltages by taking a difference voltage between the voltages Va and Vb and noise-reduced signal voltages are supplied to A/D converters 406 (corresponding to the latches 11-1, 11-2 . . . in FIG. 3).
  • the output signals of the A/D converters 406 (corresponding to the latch circuits 12-1, 12-2, . . . in FIG. 3) are latched to latch circuits 407.
  • the outputs of the latch circuits 407 are sequentially switched by scanning switches 408 (corresponding to switches 13-1, 13-2, . . . in FIG. 3) and derived as scanning signals.
  • the noise canceller 405 and A/D converter 406 can start the A/D conversion of the next signal. Therefore, most of one scanning period can be allocated to the noise reduction and A/D conversion.
  • the A/D converter 406 is of a relatively low speed sequential comparison type and, even if a 16-bit output is obtained, a comparison time per bit can be extended up to an about 100 pixel time and the band width of the analog signal system can be largely reduced to 1/100, so that a noise mixing amount can be reduced.
  • a signal voltage corresponding to the difference between Va and Vb is obtained during the horizontal drive signal HD period and is input to the A/D converter 406.
  • the A/D converter 406, being digitally converted, may be done so immediately before a maximal-level horizontal drive signal. And, when the latch circuit 407 latches the conversion data immediately before the horizontal drive signal, the next signal voltage is taken and subjected to A/D conversion processing.
  • the timing pulse of the respective timing pulse as well as the timing pulse and digital data of the noise canceller 405, A/D converter 406 and latch circuit 407 are output from a system controller 409.
  • the system controller 409 corresponds to the counter 312, D/A converter 311, timing generation circuit 13, and so on.
  • FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the embodiment includes two photodiodes in one pixel section and the output of the photodiode is input through either one switch to the amplifier 403. Even in this case, the arrangement of one pixel section is the same as set out above and the same reference numerals are employed to designate parts or elements corresponding to those shown in the preceding embodiment.
  • a color filter is provided for the respective photodiode. There is a row where R, G, R, G, R, G, . . . are sequentially repeated in a horizontal direction and a row where G, B, G, B, G, B, . . . sequentially repeated.
  • R, G, R, G, R, G, R, G, R, G, . . . are repeated and a column where G, B, G, B, G, B, . . . are repeated.
  • R, B and G represent red, blue and green, respectively.
  • a color filter array is provided at a vertical and a horizontal two-pixel period.
  • the color filter array allows the transmission of light of a given wavelength range.
  • the green, blue and red color light are incident on the respective photodiodes 401 marked as G, B and R.
  • the respective light is subjected to photoelectric conversion and stored as a signal electric charge of each color.
  • a series circuit of a switch 402 and capacitor 602 is connected between a power supply line and ground and an input terminal of an amplifier 403 is connected to a connection point of the switch 402 and the capacitor 602. Either one of the outputs of the diodes 401a and 401b can be supplied through a corresponding switch 601a or 602b to input terminal of the amplifier 403.
  • the signal charge of the photodiode 401a or 401b is read out through the switch 601a or 601b and converted to a variation level of a voltage corresponding to a signal amount supplied to the capacitor 602 connected to the input of the amplifier 403.
  • the output of the amplifier 403 is selected by a switch 404 for each row and supplied to the noise processing section 415.
  • the switch 402 After a voltage on the capacitor 602 is initialized with the switch 402 ON, the switch 402 is turned OFF. A voltage at a time of no signal is output from the amplifier 403 and a voltage Ta at this time is sampled as a reference voltage to the noise processing section 415. Let it be assumed that a signal charge on the photodiode 401a on the first row having, for example, red and green color filters is read out. The color signal is output as an output voltage of the amplifier 403. The color signal is output as an output voltage variation of the amplifier 403. A signal voltage Tb is sampled by the noise processing section 415. The noise processing section 415 outputs only a signal component by taking a difference voltage between a reference voltage Ta and a signal voltage Tb.
  • the outputs of the noise processing sections 415 corresponding to the corresponding pixels are supplied to comparators 605a and 605b corresponding to the horizontal array.
  • the comparators 605a and 605b are arranged alternately in the horizontal direction.
  • a ramp (ramp wave) voltage is supplied from the corresponding ramp voltage generator. That is, to the comparator 605b the ramp voltage for the blue color and ramp voltage for a green color are alternately supplied for each horizontal period and to the comparator 605a the ramp voltage for the green color and ramp voltage for the red color are alternately supplied during the horizontal period.
  • the comparators 605a and 605b are of such a type as to, when the ramp wave from the corresponding ramp voltage generator is made equal to the input signal voltage, have their outputs inverted to provide latch pulses. By the latch pulses the corresponding latch circuits 607 latch a count value of the counter 606.
  • the count value is a so-called A/D conversion value.
  • the outputs of the above-mentioned latch circuits 607 are delivered at a time to a shift register 608 and sequentially transferred in the horizontal period.
  • the output of the shift register 608 is delivered as a digital video signal.
  • the ramp voltage for the blue color is output from a Bch ramp wave generator 603b
  • the ramp voltage for the green color is output from a Gch ramp generator 603g
  • the ramp voltage for the red is output from a Rch ramp generator 603r.
  • the slopes of the ramp voltages are set in proportion to a signal amount at a time when a white color object is taken. By doing so, the outputs of the comparators 605a and 605b at that time are switched at the same timing and it is possible to obtain the same A/D conversion value as a color-balanced one.
  • the above-mentioned noise processing section 415 corresponds to the switches 2-1, 5-1 and capacitors 3-1, 4-1 in FIG. 3; the comparators 605a, 605b correspond to the inverters 7-1, switch 8-1; and the latch circuit 607 corresponds to the latch circuit 11, etc.
  • the switch 601 is turned ON.
  • the switch 604 is set to a x contact side, a red signal and ramp voltage for the red color are input to the comparator 605a and a green signal and ramp voltage for the green color are input to the comparator 605b.
  • a digital value corresponding to the output signal of the respective pixel is latched to the latch circuit 607 and supplied to the shift register 608.
  • the ramp wave voltages can be output in the R, G and B channels of their own and are effective in the case where the R-G and G-B color balances are obtained. Further, the waveforms of the ramp waves enables the obtainment of voltages of a given characteristic by initially storing voltage waveform generation data in, for example, a ROM. By doing so, it is possible to obtain correction color signals in accordance with optical levels or by initially providing the ramp waves to the characteristics necessary for color processing.
  • FIG. 14 shows a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.
  • a remote monitoring camera for monitoring any invader it is necessary that the camera be connected through a communication line and that a motion image be sent at a relatively low data transfer rate.
  • the data is transferred with a luminance varying area as a center and a communication rate drops at a communication rate of no problem, provided that the invader moves at all times.
  • the practice has been made to, for example, take the output of the monitoring camera in a frame memory as shown in FIG. 16, compare an image of a one-frame time difference and a current image and to detect a given motion area from a luminance level difference.
  • a respective pixel of a solid-state image pickup device in FIG. 14 comprises a photodiode 401, readout switch 601, capacitor 602 for charge voltage conversion, reset switch 402, amplifier 403 and select switch 404.
  • a series connection of the switch 402 and capacitor 602 is provided across a power source and ground and a series connection of the switch 601 and photodiode 401 is connected across a connection point between the switch 402 and the capacitor and ground.
  • the connection point between the switch 402 and the capacitor 602 is coupled to a read signal line via the switch 404.
  • respective read signal lines are arranged as a parallel array in the horizontal direction and extend in a vertical direction with their both end sides connected between noise processing units 415-1 and 415-2.
  • the capacitor 602 provided for each diode continues to be retained while the switches 402 and switches 601 are turned OFF. That is, the capacitor 602 can retain the output voltage of the amplifier until, after one frame, access is again gained to the same pixel section.
  • the switch 404 is turned ON it is possible to provide a one-frame-previous signal output from the amplifier 403.
  • the noise processing section 415-1 is so controlled as to sample a voltage Ta, at that time, as a reference voltage. Then, after the turning ON of the reset switch 402 and initialization of the voltage on the capacitor 602 the reset switch 402 is turned OFF and a voltage at a non-signal time is output from the amplifier 403.
  • the noise processing section 415-2 samples a voltage at that time and uses it as a reference voltage Tb. Next, when a readout switch 601 is turned ON, a signal charge is read from the photodiode 401 and a voltage corresponding to the current frame signal is output from the amplifier 403. This readout voltage is taken into the noise processing sections 415-1 and 415-2. A difference voltage Tc between the readout voltage thus taken and the reference voltage is obtained at the respective noise processing sections 415-1 and 415-2.
  • a difference voltage component from the one-frame-previous signal that is, a luminance variation component
  • a current frame signal voltage component is output from the noise processing section 415-2.
  • the luminance variation component is input to a comparison circuit 804 where window comparison is made.
  • the comparator 804 outputs a 1 when there occurs a luminance variation above a threshold level and a 0 when there occurs a luminance variation less than the threshold level.
  • This voltage value is read out through scanning switches 802 sequentially closed by a scanning shift register 801 and output as a scanning signal showing a position where there occurs a large luminance variation.
  • the output terminals of the noise processing sections 415 and parabolic wave generator 805 are connected to comparators 605 corresponding to the respective pixel section.
  • FIGS. 15A to 15K show the states of the first and second switches and those of signals on the signal lines.
  • the parabolic wave generator 805 With respect to a time from the output of the noise processing section 415-2 the parabolic wave generator 805 generates a voltage proportional to the square of the time and the counter 606 generates a count value proportional to a count value.
  • the output of the comparator 605 is inverted at a time when the input voltage and parabola wave voltage are equal to each other and, at this time, the output of the counter 606 is held in the latch circuit 607.
  • the output of the latch circuit 607 is further latched to the latch circuit 806 and derived through a corresponding switch 807 operated in a proper timing.
  • Switches 807 are driven by the scanning outputs of a decoder 808 operated based on the timing pulse of a timing generator 809.
  • FIG. 17 shows an example where a synchronous signal and drive timing generator 1103 and image pickup area 1101 are built on the same chip. Since analog signals have conventionally been scanned in analog form, noise in the timing generator is mixed in the signal and emerge as vertical streak noise on an image screen.
  • a signal bandwidth of an analog signal is narrower and contains less noise and the A/D converter operates in the same timing, and even if there is any noise contained there, it appears simply as a linear degeneration of the A/D conversion characteristic and appears not prominent on the image screen.
  • reference numeral 1102 shows a scanning section as a collective unit including switches and so on.
  • FIG. 18 shows a schematic form of an image pickup device where an optical image of a horizontal parallax is formed by two lenses 1201 on two image pickup areas 1202 on a chip 1200 of the image pickup device to obtain depth information.
  • Such an image pickup device used therein is of such a type that video signals are input from the two image pickup areas 1301 to a parallax detection section 1304 as shown in FIG. 19 and parallax information is calculated from the correlation values.
  • the parallax information together with the video information, is output and can be used as a video signal having depth information.
  • Reference numeral 1302 shows an A/D conversion/scanning section and 1303, a synchronous signal drive timing generator.
  • FIG. 20 shows the arrangement of a linear sensor.
  • Each pixel section comprises a switch 402 and capacitor 602 connected in series array between a power source and ground, a photodiode 401 connected through a switch 601 to a connection point between the switch 402 and the capacitor 602 and an amplifier 403 connected at its input terminal to a connection point between the switch 402 and the capacitor 602.
  • the output of the respective amplifier 403 is processed by a noise processing section 415 to reduce noise involved.
  • This noise processing section 415 corresponds to the switches 2-1 and 5-1 and capacitors 3-1 and 4-1 as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D. It is possible to take out a signal voltage from the photodiode 401 cancelling noise in the absence of any signal.
  • the signal voltage is supplied to a comparator 605.
  • the comparator 605 compares a voltage from the noise processing section 415 with a voltage from the D/A converter 1401.
  • a voltage from the A/D converter 1401 is comprised of, for example, a voltage variable in accordance with the output of a counter.
  • the coincidence detection pulse is utilized as a latch pulse to the latch circuits 1402 and 1407.
  • This system is equipped with the sensitivity correction or adjustment function and a measuring function.
  • the whole operation is controlled by a timing generation/A/D conversion controller 1408.
  • a measurement count output is supplied from the controller 1408.
  • the measurement count output is input via the latch circuit 1407 to the D/A converter 1406 where it is converted to an analog variable voltage.
  • the variable voltage is added to the D/A converter 1401 from there to the comparator 605. In this case, an analog bias is applied to the comparator 605.
  • the count data is supplied through the latch 1402 to the D/A converter 1401. And a variable voltage is supplied to the comparator 605.
  • a coincidence between the variable voltage and a voltage from the noise processing section 415 a count value at that time is retained in the latch circuit 1402.
  • the count value thus retained is latched to the latch circuit 1403.
  • a read operation is performed through the scanning switch 1403.
  • the noise processing section 415 removes any unrequired component from an output of the amplifier 403 by itself as set out above.
  • the sensitivity characteristic it is sometimes convenient to take a subject image with the imaging sensitivity less sharp at a middle and high at a marginal edge or to take a desired image the other way round. It is thus possible to freely satisfy such a demand. Further, at a time of A/D conversion, the sensitivity correction is performed without generating any round-off error. And a compact device can be obtained because it is possible to prevent a lowering in luminance resolution and to largely lower the bandwidth of an analog system.
  • the sensor above has been explained as being a linear sensor, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a sensor with a two-dimensional array of photodiodes. Further as the switch use is made of a semiconductor switch.
  • an image pickup device not readily affected by extraneous noise can be realized by providing a plurality of A/D converters, effecting scanning with those digital equivalents of associated analog signals and, by doing so, largely reducing the bandwidth of the analog signal system. Further, even the digital circuit can be arranged in proximity to the image pickup device which would otherwise been impossible because it provides a noise generation source. Further it can be mounted on the same chip.

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